Reply:
Because we do not fully understand the causes, the beaching of a whale is
often mistaken for a suicide attempt. However, it is not believed that
whales have any intention of harming themselves during a beaching. One of
the reasons whales beach themselves is because of disease. Some species
have a tight knit social structure so that if one member is accidentally
beached, the rest will follow. It is also being researched as to whether
sometimes a whale's sense of direction can be thrown off by different
factors. This is what some scientists think happened to a whale named Moby
that was beached in Scotland in the spring of 1997. They believe that Moby,
along with other whales, turned too soon during their migration which caused
them to become disoriented and lose their sense of direction. To read more
about this incident, check out this WhaleNet page:
http://whale.wheelock.edu/archives/info97/0117.html